Pokemon Amethyst Version
by Team-Amethyst
Summary: Beginning a Pokémon journey, adventure and friends come naturally. But in a world clouded in darkness, nothing is what it seems to be. Relationships of love and hope fade to broken trust and lost faith, but fate shows that everything happens for a reason.
1. Carrying the Tune of a Broken Rhythem

_Chapter One: Carrying the Tune of a Broken Rhythm _

* * * *

His body slammed to the ground, and he struggled and gasped for air as Cris squeezed his hand over his mouth, tears weaving between fingers. Cris then suspended his free hand, trembling violently as it rose, which was grasping a large knife stained with dry blood. Only muffled sounds and squeaks found there way out, and Cris said his final words.

"You deserve this, as _I _deserve this," he whispered. His breath reeked of vodka.

Suddenly, all movement stopped. Cris jolted his head up, his grip only getting tighter. He began to shake, his mind snapping, his heart breaking. He dug his nails into his forehead, blood beginning to trickle. Tears stained red.

"_Did you call the police?!" _Cris screamed, breathing hard, panicking. He let go of him, but not without slashing his side before he left. Holding the wound, he crawled to the wall, pressing himself against it, as if to escape.

"N-no, I didn't!" He trembled, pupils small. "I swear!"

Cris growled, pulling a gun from under his buttoned shirt. He aimed the gun at him. "_You fucking liar!!_"

He didn't know what to do. His heart was racing, he confused blood for tears, and he couldn't feel his body. He felt only pain and terror.

The doors broke down, loud thuds and bangs filled the room, and sirens were right outside the windows.

"You're under arrest!" yelled one man, aiming a rifle to Cris's head.

Cris looked to the man. Then to him. He saw the gun in his hands, and stared at it as if he had never seen it before. He lifted it slowly, and more demands were snapped across the room. The officer went to pull the trigger, and the sound of a gunshot deafened the room.

Cris's head spewed blood, his face not recognizable. His gun fell to the ground, steam coming from the tip. His body tipped over, slamming to the ground.

He looked at him, as he never looked at him before. He was dead, right before him.

He could never hurt him again.

He was free.

* * * *

The two siblings stopped at the sign, feeling hesitant and foreign. They could see their lives playing like a music box within the streets of the peaceful town, replaying over and over again. "Welcome to Pallet Town!" greeted the little wooden sign, as cheerful as ever.

"Never thought we'd be here again, huh Katashi?"

Katashi slipped his hands into his lab coat pockets, nonchalant as always. "This was _your_ decision to come here, Masami. _I_ was against it."

Masami sighed, moving a strand of blonde hair from her face. "You say that as if I'm a bad person, or something."

Katashi glanced at her. "Aren't you, though? Leaving me all alone?"

Masami frowned, turning to him. "You're the one leaving _me_ all alone."

Katashi paused, staring straight ahead. "You don't have to do this, Masami. You could come back home with me, and we can live together, just the two of us. That way, neither one of us will be alone."

"I have to do this," Masami said, nodding. "You know I do." She turned to him, looking hopeful, even if just the slightest bit. "You're still welcome to join me."

Katashi shook his head. "You know where my heart lies. I have much to do. I can't join you this time around."

Masami looked down, disappointed, but was careful not show it. She smiled a little, and looked up at him, her blue eyes meeting his. "You'll cheer for me, right? When I get in the Pokémon League?"

"Of course," Katashi answered, softly. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."

Masami lit up, smiling. "It means everything."

"I know," Katashi smiled back, beginning to walk into a town he once called his own. "Now come on, let's get you a Pokémon."

----

The laboratory was large and dome-like. A windmill spun in the back, and fences spread for miles held a variety of Pokémon. The atmosphere was warm and bright, welcoming. A fountain bubbled soothingly by the door.

The path seemed a mile long from the metal gate. The lab was so isolated from the rest of the town, located on a hilltop, and blocked by tall gates. The door was red and large with modern door knockers. Shimmering gold in the sun, Masami grasped one in her hand and beat it against the door. A moment later, the doors swung open, and after exchanging glances, the two stepped cautiously inside.

"It looks so normal," Masami noted, somewhat surprised.

"How disappointing," Katashi shrugged.

Masami blinked and began to take a look around. The room was full of tables piled with dusty books, large windows that showed fields and ponds full of Pokémon, and scattered machines here and there with flashing lights and low screeches. A soft knock emitted through out the room, and Masami stood straight, startled. She looked around curiously, only to spot a little yellow creature pressed against the outside of a glass door, smiling.

"It's a Pikachu," Masami said, tilting her head. She smiled. "How cute."

"He must be some kid's Pikachu," Katashi observed. "The professor let's trainer's Pokémon out back in fenced areas for exercise and what not."

Pikachu began scratching lightly at the glass, static coming from its red cheeks.

"He looks like he wants to come in," Masami blinked, going towards the door.

"He's not even yours, Masami," Katashi warned, raising an eyebrow.

"Just for a second," Masami promised, sliding the door open. She bent down and smiled, running her fingers through his yellow fur. "Hey there," she greeted softly.

"Pika!" Pikachu chimed, his ears down and relaxed, nuzzling against Masami's leg.

Masami laughed. "I think he likes me."

Katashi watched with interest, running the situation through his head. This was an unusually friendly Pokémon, no doubt. Pokémon of other trainers didn't beg to be let inside only to obsess over a complete stranger. Katashi wondered what the Pikachu was thinking to let himself be so open with Masami. "Don't get too attached," he finally spoke.

"Don't worry," Masami assured, holding the Pikachu in her arms. She stood up and turned to him. "It's not like I'd steal him or anything."

Pikachu smiled and bounced from Masami's arms, perching himself on her shoulder and grasping her head.

Masami giggled, glancing up. "Comfortable?"

"Cha!" Pikachu beamed, his tail waving.

Katashi blinked, a mark on Pikachu's tail catching his eye. A small piece of his tail was missing, and a scorch mark of red and pink swelled the area.  
"Masami," Katashi said. "That Pikachu has a burn mark on his tail." Katashi paused, scanning the rest of Pikachu. "Not only that, but he has scars."

Masami gasped and held Pikachu. "W-what?" She looked at Pikachu, who was smiling at her. She frowned. "How did you get those…?"

Pikachu blinked and looked back at his tail, bobbing it up and down. He merely shook it off and turned back around, holding his arms out to Masami, smiling.

Masami blinked and let Pikachu return to her shoulder. She turned to Katashi and frowned. "How do you suppose he got those?"

"It's none of our business," Katashi shrugged. "Probably a training accident or something. Right now, we have to find the professor."

Masami sighed. "You're right." She turned to face the hollow lab. "Hello!" she called out. "Is anyone here?"

Katashi and Masami stood still, waiting in silence. They wondered if they were alone.

"Oh, hello! You must be one of the new trainers!" called a voice, rasp yet enthusiastic.

Masami looked to Katashi, unsure. Katashi nudged her to move forward, and she took a deep breath, making her way into the lab, Katashi close behind.

A man appeared at the frame of the door, looking about sixty or so. His hair was thin and gray, his skin pale and wrinkly. He wore a white lab coat and looked as though he hadn't slept in days.

"Yes, that's me," Masami blinked, standing in the center of the room patiently.

Professor Oak paused, noticing the Pikachu on Masami's shoulder. "Now what's this about?" he asked, nodding to him.

"Uh," Masami glanced up nervously, "He wanted to come inside the lab, so I let him, and he was awfully happy to see me and came right over to me."

"Well if that isn't the weirdest thing," the professor pondered.

Masami blinked. "Hm? What do you mean?"

"You see, that Pikachu right there is quite anti-social. Very untrusting and afraid of people."

"You mean _this_ Pikachu?" Masami asked, surprised. "The same one that begged to be let in just to see me? A total stranger?"

"Exactly," Professor Oak said. "Which is what I find odd."

"I too found this Pikachu's behavior odd," Katashi added, sounding smooth and calm.

Pikachu seemed oblivious to everyone's comments. He just continued to rub his head against Masami's happily.

"Well clearly he has a special interest in Masami," the professor thought aloud. "Why? I'm not sure. And maybe I shouldn't say this, but I think this especially since I have suspicion that this Pikachu's current trainer is being abusive towards him."

Masami became shocked, taken back. "_W-what?_"

Katashi paused, also taken back. The thought of abuse was unexpected to him. However, it did explain the marks on Pikachu. All of the sudden Katashi felt very sorry for Pikachu, and wanted to help him.

"Who's the trainer?" Katashi asked, raising an eyebrow.

Professor Oak frowned. "I can't tell you. I hope you understand."

Katashi looked down, unsatisfied. "Of course."

Masami looked sympathetically at Pikachu, who was still as cheerful as ever.

"Don't worry," Professor Oak assured. "I plan to do something once I have more than just a suspicion. For now, why don't we get you started on your journey?"

Masami blinked, turning back to him. "O-oh, right. Okay."

"So, first off, what's your name?" he asked, smiling.

"Masami," she hesitated, knowing what might come if she said the rest. She gulped and finished the name. "Masami Cadena."

The professor paused, taken back, not knowing what to say. He was wise enough to not say anything at all. He just kept smiling. "As you may have already known, I'm Professor Oak. I research Pokémon and their relationships with human beings."

"How interesting," Masami replied, smiling, only to be polite. Katashi raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.

"You're a researcher too, aren't you?" Professor Oak asked, nodding to Katashi and his lab coat.

"Yes," Katashi answered, simply. He closed his eyes and straightened himself out. "I specialize in ghost Pokémon."

"Wow, impressive," Professor Oak praised, intrigued. "Not many go into that field of research. I'm interested, what types of things do you find? As you know, ghost Pokémon are still shrouded by mystery!" He let out a light, weary laugh.

"That's classified," Katashi said, crossing his arms.

"Classified…? But I'm…"

Masami sighed, apologetically smiling at the professor. "It's nothing personal. He won't share his findings with anybody. He says they're not ready."

Professor Oak blinked. "Ready for what?"

"You could ask him," Masami shrugged. "But that wouldn't do any good." She smiled, placing her hands behind her back. "Call it a lost cause. How about we talk about my journey now?"

The professor stood still for a moment, but shook it off and smiled. "Yes, of course! Your journey. Now, have you given any thought of which Pokémon you'd like?"

"I'm still not sure…" Masami said, uneasy. Pikachu still hummed joyfully from Masami's shoulder. She circled around the three Poke balls and studied them carefully. "Fire, water, or grass…"

"Get fire," Katashi suggested, his hands once more in his pockets. "It's the best offensive wise. It'll protect you nicely."

"Charmander?" Masami questioned, cradling the ball in her palm. "I don't know…"

"If the trainer feels hesitation about the Pokémon, that's never a good sign of a strong bond," Professor Oak said, watching with interest.

Masami frowned, gently placing the ball back into its place. "You're right," she said sadly. She turned to him. "But I don't feel right about _any_ of these Pokémon."

"What?" Professor Oak said, taken back. "Never have I heard a trainer say they felt uneasy about their choices of Pokémon before."

Masami sighed. "What do I do then?"

Katashi thought it over. He had a feeling Masami would be difficult today. He caught eye of Pikachu's tail once more, weaving through the air. As he stared at it, he came to a realization. He knew how he could help Pikachu.

"You can take the Pikachu," Katashi said, as if coming across an important scientific discovery.

Masami turned to him. "What?" she asked, surprised. "It's not even mine!"

"No, I know," Katashi said, simply. "But the professor said that this Pikachu was very untrusting and afraid of people. And yet, here he is, unable to separate himself from you. This Pikachu is being _abused_ Masami. You can _save_ it. Don't you think this is all too much to be a mere coincidence? I think you're _supposed _to have this Pikachu. To _save_ it."

Masami paused, thinking it all over. What Katashi said was all very true… But could it really be fate? It just seemed like stealing to her. Even though Masami wanted nothing more than to save this Pikachu, she didn't feel right taking him knowing he was someone else's. "I don't know Katashi…"

"_Masami_," Katashi said firmly. He leaned in. "You're always talking about how you want to do some good. To be _noticed_. Well, this is your chance. Are you really going to leave this poor Pikachu to go back to looking forward to nothing more than _abuse?_ How would _you_ like to be in his situation?"

Masami froze. She stared at him. "I-I…" She looked up at Pikachu, who smiled at her. Masami just stared, and then turned to Professor Oak. She frowned, giving in. "Please… Let me have this Pikachu."

Professor Oak blinked, a little taken back. "I-I can't give you someone else's Pokémon, even if it _is_ being abused."

"_Please!" _Masami pleaded, her eyes wobbling. "I'll take really good care of him! A-and if that trainer comes back… Y-you can tell them I _stole_ him!"

Professor Oak shifted, feeling uneasy. He noted Masami's sudden change in direction. It might have been different if any other trainer was asking this of him, but he knew who Masami was, and why she wanted this Pikachu more than anything. He couldn't refuse. He just couldn't. "Alright," he said, finally, softly. "You can have him." He looked up, managing a small smile. "I know you'll take the best of care of him."

Masami lit up, picking the Pikachu off her shoulder and lifting him into the air. "Did you hear that?" she chimed, more elated than she had felt in years. "You can come with me!"

Pikachu became ecstatic, waving his arms around and twitching his ears. He kept sparking, laughing, as Masami pulled him in close.

"I'll never hurt you," Masami said softly.

Pikachu smiled, nuzzling into Masami's arm. Masami smiled and handed him to Katashi, who took him unsurely. Pikachu looked uneasy and scanned him, but then picked up on a scent and paused, feeling some sort of recognition. He smiled and let Katashi hold him without any difficulty. Katashi blinked but smiled as well, not used to this sort of thing, but finding himself to like it none-the-less.

Professor Oak smiled warmly and pulled some Poke balls out of his pocket as well as a little red machine. "Now Masami, these are your – " Professor Oak paused, looking around. "…Where'd she go?"

Masami was slowly walking towards a TV, playing nothing but static. She tilted her head, as if she was waiting for something, expecting something. She stared until suddenly, fuzzy images started coming in through the grain. Explosions, screaming, running. A town on fire. Masami's eyes widened, her body trembling. She reached out to touch the screen, in a trance, but before she could touch it, the screen went black, and Masami gasped, unaware of her surroundings. She turned quickly to Professor Oak, who held the remote.

"Masami," he said, weary. "Please just pay attention. Then you can be on your own for good."

Masami blinked, feeling not herself, and sighed, looking down. She nodded, making her way back to Katashi, who had been waiting with patience and interest.

Professor Oak held out the items, and Masami opened her hand, accepting them. She stared at them as if they were from space.

"Those Poke balls are for catching more Pokémon. Now, you can only have six Pokémon on your team at a time, but as a future Pokémon Master, you will have to catch them all!" He chuckled lightly, sounding as though he swallowed dust. "And that machine you have there, well, I designed that myself!" He beamed with pride. "It's a Pokedex. It will tell you anything and everything you need to know about the world of Pokémon! It will also record data of Pokémon you've met, thus helping my research." He nodded, smiling. "Now, I expect to see you in the Pokémon League!"

"Right," Masami said, dully. She said nothing and turned around, leaving. Katashi glanced at him, shrugged, and followed. Professor Oak was just left there, not exactly sure what he should be feeling.

----

Masami smashed the Pokedex to the ground once they reached the boarder of the town. She stared at the pieces for a moment, shrugged, and looked up at Katashi. "I'm not in it for the fame or publicity. And I'm not here to benefit that man either." She looked up, waiting for something to catch her eye. "I'm only in this Pokémon journey for one reason, and that's to redeem the Cadena name." She looked back at Katashi, determined. "And I intend to do just that."

Katashi nodded. "I'm proud of you already." He smiled.

Masami smiled back, feeling somehow lighter. "I'll make _everyone_ proud."

Katashi hugged her, tight. "No doubt about it."

Masami held onto him, as if he was never coming back. "So this is goodbye…isn't it?"

Katashi let go, smiling softly. "Not really. You'll call me when you reach new cities, and I'll see you in the Pokémon League soon enough."

"Yeah, you're right," Masami said, smiling. "I shouldn't be such a pessimist."

"You're not a pessimist," Katashi assured. "Make sure to visit while you're in town, okay?"

Masami beamed. "Of course."

"Well then, I'll see you," Katashi smiled, turned around, and began to walk. Masami watched until she could no longer see him. She sighed, uneasy, and faced the world she was about to enter. Once she went in, there was no turning back. Pikachu sat perched on her shoulder, waiting patiently.

"Ready?" Masami asked, glancing up at him.

"Chu!" Pikachu nodded, emitting static.

Masami took a deep breath, and took her first step into a never ending journey of false ends and unwanted beginnings.

----

Masami screamed, falling backwards. She pointed dead straight at a Weedle, shaking like crazy. "_Killitkillitkillit!!"_

Pikachu jumped from her head, charged and ready to defend his trainer. He let out a bolt of lightning, shocking the Weedle, leaving it smoke black and unconscious.

Masami paused, trembling slightly, and smiled, getting up cautiously. "Thank you, Pikachu," she said, Pikachu climbing to her shoulder once more. Masami smiled nervously, a little embarrassed. "I've always been afraid of bugs, ever since I can remember. I got it from mi papá, or so my mom says. Either way, I'm just terrified of the stupid things." Masami sighed, shaking her head. "I can't even get through a silly little forest without freaking." She turned to Pikachu, her eyes filled with doubt. "How am I supposed to do this…?"

Pikachu hit her face lightly, looking upset. He shook his head, his cheeks flickering with static, staring at Masami intensely. Masami sighed and continued to keep moving.

"Yeah, you're right. I already said there was no turning back…"

----

"We should reach Viridian City within an hour," Masami stated, looking towards to sky. "It'll be nightfall by then." She popped the lid off a cheap looking container of sushi, breaking apart wooden chopsticks. She frowned, picking up a piece of sushi with her fingers and holding it to Pikachu. "I'm sorry… I forgot to buy Pokémon food before I went to get you. I don't know if you like people food, but you can have some of my sushi."

Pikachu stared at the sushi, curious. He sniffed it, observed it, and finally, he ate it. After savoring the taste, Pikachu happily bounced up and down. Masami blinked, but then began to laugh.

"I guess you _do_ like people food." She smiled, handing him some more. "Here, take half."

Pikachu sloppily gulped down the raw fish and licked the remains, satisfied. Masami giggled, delicately picking up a piece of sushi with her chopsticks, eating it piece by piece, slowly. Once complete, she packed up and got to her feet, smiling.

"Let's get going," she said, and Pikachu jumped onto her. She then made her way through the clearing, heading for the city.

----

About an hour later, the sun had set and an endless night blanketed the sky. Starts were painted about, winking back at the street lights on Earth. As soon as Masami stepped into the city, she felt her head swell and her body shrink. The lights were too bright, the cars were too loud, and the city was just too big. She felt uneasy and out of place, and almost frightened. She felt homesick and wanted to find a phone to call Katashi.

Masami's eyes couldn't stay in one place. She found herself constantly looking around to the point where she felt dizzy. "Oh man, the city… I've never been in a city like this all by myself before." She felt anxious and alone. "It's so big and I'm so small…"

"Pika," Pikachu comforted, patting Masami on the head. Masami managed to smile a little, glancing up at him. However, the warm feeling only lasted to long. Masami then began to feel uneasy again. "I don't even know where I'm supposed to stay… Is there a Pokémon Center around somewhere? Because if so I don't – !"

Masami felt something collide completely into her body, unexpectedly hard, and stumbled back, almost losing balance. Pikachu lost his grip on Masami's head and stumbled backwards onto the sidewalk, groaning. Masami cringed, not sure what even happened. She then noticed a figure in front of her, not much bigger than her own.

"Watch where you're going."

----

**AN: Hey! So this is a story quite unlike most Pokemon stories. First of all, if you're slightly confused, don't worry, you should be. Things are supposed to become clear as the story progresses. The plot will begin to become more dark yet filled with romance and adventure as more characters come into play. And second off, this story will have two authors: egyptian-sands and fastestthingalive34. Maybe you know us from our other Pokemon stories, Thorns of a Rose and Seasons of Love. If so, then you're going to recognize our characters in here, Masami and Katashi, and then later Kaori and Hatori. However, they're very different in here than their altered forms we used for our stories. This is what they truely are like. **

**So this is egyptian-sands here, and I wrote the first chapter, seeing as it was based around my characters. I promise once the plot kicks up and more characters debut, this story will show its creativity and intesity. But for now, just give us some credit. Don't give up on it just becuse of the OCs. And I apologize, even though P. Oak was in here, no other official Pokemon characters will be included within the story. Just ours. And you know what? I'd be surprised if you even got all the way to the end of this AN. If you did, good for you. And of course, please review!**

**Pokemon and its characters (c) Nintendo and the Pokemon Company  
Masami and Katashi Cadena (c) egyptian-sands **


	2. Collision

_Chapter Two: Collision _

"Watch where you're going," the figure muttered irritably.

Masami felt a quick rush of lightheadedness, finding herself only able so see blurred colors. She held her head in pain and narrowed her eyes, getting a better look at the unknown shadow, realizing it to be a girl around the same age as herself, if not a little older. On the ground next to her was a Pokémon she had seen in one of Katashi's books, a water Pokémon called Marshtomp. Marshtomp were very rare in the Kanto region; they mostly populated Hoenn.

"O-oh, uh, sorry," Masami apologized shyly, rubbing her head soothingly. "I wasn't looking where I was going."

The girl stood up and simply brushed the dirt off her pants, which Masami found rather inane, for her clothes were already quite filthy. In fact, her attire seemed more like rags if anything, covered with stains of mud, grass, and god only knows what else. Not only that, but the fabric was torn and worn out. Masami wondered if she lived on the streets or something like that.

"Clearly," the girl grumbled, still wiping dirt, not even giving Masami a glance to the side. Marshtomp stood tall next to the girl, glaring slightly at Masami.

Masami blinked. "Yeah, I guess I'm a little lost," she replied, raising an eyebrow. _No manners much?_

The girl then finally looked up at Masami, making eye contact for the first time. "What are you doing around these parts anyways?" she asked, raising an eyebrow slightly. "This is where all the poor people hang out." She nodded to a man who was sound asleep on a bench.

This did seem to be true. As Masami looked around, she noticed all the desolate buildings, their walls drenched in graffiti in a rainbow of colors, as well as some colorful words. An unused stop sign was altered to read, "STOP hunger", and scraps of food dotted the streets as garbage cans laid idly on their sides. Police sirens could be heard wailing in the near distance. How could someone live like this every single day?

"Oh, uh, well…" Masami looked down, frowning. "It's like I said, I'm lost. But I suppose being 'where poor people hang out' wouldn't be far from the truth," she finished, her voice trailing off a little bit.

The girl all of a sudden seemed to gain interest in what Masami was saying. "What? Really?" She quickly scanned Masami's clothes, of which seemed to be perfectly neat compared to her own. "You don't look poor to me." She tilted her head a little, still examining this supposedly "poor" girl.

"Well," Masami started, looking up, "I'm not _dirt_ poor, but I'm not exactly middle class." She shifted. "My parents are overseas. They don't make a lot of money, so my brother studies ghost Pokémon here to help take care of us."

The girl blinked. "Ghost Pokémon?"

"Yes," Masami said, nodding. "Not many people touch the subject of ghosts, so his research is considered of value."

The girl smirked. "Awesome."

Masami shrugged. "I suppose. Because of his work it's nothing out of the ordinary to me at this point."

"Sounds pretty cool. I'm really into that kinda stuff." The girl shrugged. "Read 'bout it a lot at libraries."

"Yeah, I guess you can say I know quite a bit about spirits and the spirit world."

All of a sudden, as if out of nowhere, the girl's face completely lit up, looking like a child on Christmas morning, seeing a sea of presents under the evergreen Christmas tree. "What? Really?" A tone of excitement filled her voice.

Masami smiled a little as she watched the girl bounce up and down a little bit on the backs of her heels. "Yeah, I guess. I'm not sure how much I believe it, but my brother's very passionate about it."

The girl then seemed to lose interest as quickly as it appeared. Masami became a little taken back. "Huh," she said, blinking. "Well, ghosts aren't my forte anyways. But they're supernatural and shit so they're cool too, I guess." She scratched the back of her head, then looked up into the night sky. The sky was an endless black, with stars fighting to be shown through the dense city lighting. "I'm more into aliens. I've always wanted to be abducted by one." She looked back at Masami. "Ya know?"

Masami stared at her for a second. What was she talking about? Getting abducted by _aliens?_ One, that's totally ridiculous. Two, that would never happen. And three, in the weird stories where people _do_ get abducted by aliens, they always get hurt by them or have their memory wiped or something strange like that. Who would _ever_ want something like that to happen to them?

"No, I don't know," Masami finally answered, shaking her head. "I don't believe in those sorts of things. I mean, I can't deny that there's life out in space, but I don't know why they'd ever want anything with us."

The girl glared slightly at Masami and scoffed. "Because they're _curious_. _Duh_."

Masami blinked. "But what if they're very similar to us? We can't even travel past the moon."

The girl smirked. "But what if they _aren't_?" She pointed a finger right up to Masami's face. How annoying. "Ya know, they say that Clefairy are from outer space." The same lit up look came back to her face. "I've always wanted to see one, but I haven't gotten the chance!"

Masami looked unfazed. "Even if they _are_ aliens, they don't seem too interested in us. They're very secluded and have rarely been seen by humans. We're not very interesting. We do so many awful things…"

The girl simply shrugged, as if doing awful things were okay or something. "Sure we do. But aliens are awesome, no questions asked, hands down."

"I can't really say how awesome they may or may not be without first meeting one," Masami said, blinking.

The girl just glared at Masami for a long time, not knowing what kind of come back she could come up with. "Hey, are you staying in the Pokémon Center?" she suddenly asked, completely changing the topic.

"Yeah," Masami said, shifting. "…If I could find it."

A smirk then went across the girl's face, her eyes shining. "I can help you find it!" She crossed her arms, her smirk becoming wider as her eyes narrowed. "But only on _one_ condition." She held up a finger and waved it in front of Masami's face.

Masami paused for a moment, and then raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"

"You lemme borrow some money to stay at the Pokémon Center. I'll pay ya back later," she offered, that smirk of hers still plastered on her face. The girl's Marshtomp snickered evilly.

Masami looked uneasy about the idea. _This girl doesn't seem very honest. And she looks pretty poor. If I gave her money, I don't think that she'd pay me back._

The girl stood there with her arms crossed, watching Masami ponder, snickering.

"I… don't trust you," Masami admitted, finally.

The girl all of a sudden looked truly insulted, her face falling. "What?"

Masami frowned. "I don't really go around giving away money."

The girl glared and turned her back to Masami. Masami could feel the cold sting of ice radiating from her. "Fine, fend for yourself then." She proceeded to climb into a near by dumpster, Marshtomp following close behind. "But I know where the Pokémon Center is, so if _you_ wanna sleep out here with all the rapists, thieves, and murders lurking around, then be my guest." She made herself comfortable in the pile of garbage, picking up a rotting banana which she began to peel. "Oh, and of course there's the cold ground, dirt, and spiders." She shrugged. "It's your choice, really." She put the fruit that Masami would have labeled inedible in her mouth, tossing the peel to Marshtomp, who gobbled it up upon contact.

Masami paused, her face fading as white as snow. "S-spiders?"

The girl smiled and popped up from the dumpster, looking down at Masami. "Sure, the little guys are everywhere. See?" She held out her arm where a couple black dots crawled freely.

Masami, startled, yelped and stepped back a couple of feet.

The girl blinked. "What's wrong? They're only spiders." She lifted her arm, smiling, staring at them.

"I-I'm afraid of spiders," Masami stammered, looking away at something else.

The girl blinked and tilted her head a bit. "So you're gonna sleep out here with all of 'em crawling around?"

"U-um…" Masami started.

The girl smirked. "Well?"

Masami looked down and frowned. She still had a gut feeling that she couldn't trust this girl, but at this point it seemed as though she didn't have a choice. She sighed and looked up, defeated. "I'll give you some money."

The girl smiled brightly. "Great!" she exclaimed, jumping out of the dumpster like some sort of cat. "Follow me!" She then ran off through the alley, Masami trudging after her.

*****

"So this is Pallet Town?" A girl spoke aloud to herself, looking around the small, quiet town. The sunlight seeped through the puffy white clouds and gave the town a bright soft hue. She yawned. "Pallet Town in the middle of nowhere." She picked a stone off of the ground, tossing it up and down in the air. The Marshtomp standing beside her nodded in agreement. She then started walking, Marshtomp close behind. "Well they do say that this is where most trainers start out on their Pokémon journeys. We won't be staying here long though. Come on, let's head out."

The girl walked through the town, taking in her surroundings. There were little houses in different colors spread through out the streets, some very nice. Perhaps a little _too_ nice.

_This place is too quiet,_ the girl thought, staring at the stone resting in the palm of her hand. "Hey Marshtomp."

"Mar?" Marshtomp asked, looking up questionably at his trainer.

The girl smirked. "How about we give this little place a nice awakening?" she suggested, holding the stone to his face.

Marshtomp snickered as the two faced one of the homes. The girl lifted the rock over her head and chucked it right into the window, shattering it to pieces.

"What?! My window!" cried and angry, male, voice from inside the house.

"Run!" the girl yelled as she bolted to the north.

*****

"I think it's 900 yen to stay here, so that's all I need," the girl said, smiling, holding out her hand patiently.

The lights from the Pokémon Center shined warmly upon the duo and their Pokémon companions. It had taken them a half hour to find it, but they made it. Masami, however, still couldn't believe that she was doing this, giving money to a total stranger.

Masami sighed and handed her the slips of paper.

The girl smiled and snatched the money. "Thanks! I'll pay you back! Promise!"

Masami nodded, faking a smile. "Right."

The girl turned around to go in the door, but then turned back around. "Oh, my name's Kaori Nakahara, by the way."

Masami blinked and then shifted. _I have to tell her. I have to get used to telling others my name,_ she thought, before pausing and finally letting the words flow out of her mouth. "Masami Cadena."

Kaori smiled. "Cool. Nice meeting you." She then ran inside, leaving Masami alone.

*****

Kaori looked around, trees surrounding her on all sides. It almost seemed as though the forest was closing in on her. When she looked up into the vast sky, she realized that night was starting to fall. The first star of night dimly shined, and pink melted into indigo like rainwater.

"It looks like we'll have to hit the hay in the next city we stop in, Marshtomp," Kaori said, glancing down at the Pokémon walking beside her.

"Tomp!" Marshtomp agreed, nodding.

Kaori smiled. "It shouldn't be too far away since we've been on the move since dawn." And as if on cue, she could suddenly see bright lights in the distance.

"Marshtomp! Look! There it is! The city!" she exclaimed, bouncing up and down excitedly.

"Tomp Mar!" Marshtomp said, running ahead of Kaori.

"Wait for me!" Kaori called, chasing after him.

*****

Masami took a deep breath as she let her body sink slowly into the mattress. Pikachu was already fast asleep, tucked into Masami's side. Masami stared at the white ceiling, its emptiness appropriate for her current mood. It had definitely been a long day. Pikachu snored softly beside her, and Masami gently ran her fingers through his fine fur.

_I'll call Katashi,_ Masami thought, elevating herself from the bed. She sat in the little mahogany desk packed in the corner of the small room and pressed the blinking blue light on the side of the visual television. After pushing in some numbers on the metal keyboard, Masami waited patiently until Katashi's face lit the screen up.

"Yes?" he answered, thick black smudges under his eyes. Masami wondered when the last time he slept was, or had eaten, for that matter. Was he always that skinny?

"Katashi," Masami smiled, a breath of fresh air filling her lungs. "Hola."

"Masami," Katashi spoke, smiling softly. "I wondered when I'd hear from you. Where are you?"

"I'm in Viridian City," Masami answered, looking around. "I was able to find the Pokémon Center."

Katashi nodded. "I'm glad. I've been worried about how you might be doing. I half expected you to get yourself lost and in some sort of danger."

Masami shifted uneasily. "Actually… I did get lost." She looked up at Katashi. "I wasn't even able to find the center by myself." She sighed and looked away in shame. "This wannabe girl made me give her 900 yen just to show me where it was."

Katashi looked down, thinking, and then looked back up. "You're not used to being on your own, Masami. You've always depended on me to provide you with the things you need, such as food and shelter. Becoming independent isn't as easy as turning on a switch. You're going to need help from other people, and hey, that's okay. I'd much rather see you safe in that Pokémon Center short 900 yen then having you get injured or worse lost in the forest. And if you find yourself not knowing what to do, you can always give me a call. I'm not going anywhere, but I'm not going to dare stop you from going everywhere you possibly can, and you shouldn't let minor inconveniences stop you either. You're a bright girl with many ambitions and dreams, and I'd hate for them to all be shattered by a "wannabe girl" whose life is so pathetic and insignificant, she needs to scam money off an inexperienced trainer. Do you understand me, Masami?"

As Katashi spoke, Masami felt herself become warmer inside. His words melted the anxious feelings inside Masami away, and filled her with a new sense of determination. Katashi was right. She shouldn't consider giving up her dreams because of some stupid girl she's never even going to see again. Masami smiled. "I understand. Thank you."

Katashi nodded, smiling. He was able to tell Masami's confidence had been restored, even if only a little. Katashi also knew that he could only do so much to comfort her. "You look exhausted. You should get some rest before heading out tomorrow. Call me when you reach the next town over, alright?"

Masami yawned, realizing just how tired she was. "Yeah, sounds good." She looked at Katashi, becoming firm. "You do the same, you hear me? You look like some pathetic teen whose eyeliner broke and spilled under his eyes, for Christ's sakes."

Katashi chuckled softly, crossing his arms. "Thanks for the compliment. I'll be sure to sleep tonight."

"Good," Masami nodded. She smiled. "Buenas noches."

Katashi smiled softly. "Good night, Masami."

And then the screen went black.

----

As soon as Kaori had gotten inside the center and booked her room, she bolted upstairs.

Laughing, she jumped onto the bed in the center and pressed her face into the soft pillows. She couldn't remember the last time she had slept in an _actual_ bed. She was so used to sleeping on the hard, cold ground, or in piles of garbage, that the comforter and sheets seemed just too unfamiliar.

"This is the life, isn't it pal?" Kaori muttered, rubbing her face against the pillows.

Marshtomp crawled up next to Kaori and made himself comfortable. "Tomp," he yawned.

"I can't remember the last time I slept in a real bed. Probably a really long time ago," she said, propping herself up on her elbows. "We've been living on the streets for such a long time now." She frowned a bit. Marshtomp looked over at her. "You know, I make a lot of fun out of living the way we do." She placed a hand on Marshtomp's head and gently stroked it. "But sometimes, I wonder what it'd be like to have a family and friends." He looked at her and frowned. Kaori blinked and then smiled a little, pressing her forehead against his. "Who am I kidding? I don't need any friends or family when I've got it all right here." Marshtomp's face lit up and he nuzzled against Kaori's cheek. "Well, I think we should hit they hay. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." She smiled and Marshtomp smiled as well and nodded, snuggling against Kaori, who yawned. "Good night Marshtomp," she said before drifting off to sleep.

*****

Kaori and Marshtomp took in everything; the smells, the sights, the crowds of people. Everything seemed similar, and yet different at the same time. The words "Welcome to Viridian City" lit up in neon colors above them.

"It's sort of like Lilycove City, isn't it Marshtomp?" Kaori asked, looking around, smiling.

Marshtomp nodded, only half paying attention. "Let's take a look around," Kaori said, squeezing herself into a narrow alleyway.

Upon reaching the end of the alleyway, Kaori saw several people. One was a man who was sound asleep on a bench, another, an elderly man walking down a street dressed in nothing but rags. To the right was a woman who was half asleep, sitting by a flickering lamppost holding a sign that read, "Will work for food."

Kaori blinked. All around her was trash, broken bottles, cigarette butts and graffiti. This place was a mess. Unfortunately, though, this was her definition of home.

"What a crap hole," Kaori muttered, looking around. "Whelp," She smiled, placing her hands on her hips. "Might as well sleep in a dumpster or something cozy like that. Can't afford a hotel or any of that fancy crap anyways." She looked around, scratching her head. "Now just to find that dumpster." She began to look once more, not paying much attention to where she was going. All of a sudden, Kaori felt herself ram into something about her size, knocking her to the ground.

_What the hell was that?!_ Kaori thought as she growled angrily.

When she looked up she saw a blonde haired girl catching her balance.

"Watch where you're going." Kaori muttered irritably.

*****

Kaori yawned, rubbing the sleep away from her eyes as she exited the Pokémon Center the next morning. "Well, let's get a move on," she said, walking towards the perimeter of the city.

It was then she noticed a little wooden sign staked into the entrance to a sea of trees. Excited to learn of its contents, Kaori sprinted towards it.

"Viridian Forest: Beware of wild Beedrill," read the sign.

Kaori's face lit up. "Danger? Sounds like fun!" She glanced down at Marshtomp, whose expression mirrored hers. "Let's go!" she exclaimed, the two running into the forest.

----

Masami stood in the lobby of the Pokémon Center, reading the large map on the wall time and time again. _Where am I supposed to go? _she thought. _Pewter City's the closest, but in order to get there I have to go through a…_ Masami gulped. Just thinking about it made her nervous. _A forest._ She took a deep breath. _I have no choice._

It was then that Masami piled up enough courage to go through the doors of the Pokémon Center and start heading towards Viridian Forest.

_I'm still sleepy…_ Kaori thought as she trudged through the forest.

Morning had never been Kaori's favorite time of day for two reasons: reason number one being that she was always half asleep, and reason two being that there were no aliens out in the morning; they only came out at night.

Masami, on the other hand, wasn't too far away from where Kaori was at this point.

_I'm lost in the forest…_ Masami stopped in her tracks, thinking about just how frightening this situation really was. Faint buzzing filled the empty air, and it didn't look like there was any opening around for miles. _Ehh…_

Kaori blinked when she heard the crackling of leaves not too far away from her. _Maybe it's another trainer._ Kaori smirked at the thought. _I'll whip their ass in a Pokémon battle!_ She quickly turned around to face her opponent, but was let down slightly when she realized it was only that rookie trainer from the pervious night. She raised an eyebrow. "Stalking me, Cadena?"

Startled, Masami quickly turned to her. "O-oh. Kaori. Hi."

Kaori looked a little bit irritated. "Why are you following me? Just because I knew where the Pokémon Center was doesn't mean I know where I'm going this time."

"I'm not following you," Masami countered as she got quiet. "I'm lost."

Kaori smiled, finding this humorous in some way. "Right, lost. Of course. Or maybe you just wanna be my new best friend because you feel bad about bumping into me like that last night."

Masami raised an eyebrow. "I'm not following you. And I apologized." She looked around. "I have an awful sense of direction and get lost often. I don't mind getting lost, but I don't particularly like being in a forest for too long…"

Kaori looked unfazed. "Why?"

"The bugs," Masami answered shyly.

Kaori blinked. "The bugs?" She turned around, bending over to pick something up off of the ground. "You mean like this one?" Beaming, she turned around, shoving a Caterpie in Masami's face. Masami screamed and backed up into a tree. Kaori smiled and hugged the tiny bug Pokémon. "Aw, I think he's cute. Don't you?"

Masami had her eyes shut tightly, shaking her head rapidly. "No, no, no, no! Get it away!" she demanded, trembling.

Kaori stared at her for a second. "Huh, you're really freaked." She turned to the Caterpie and placed it back on the ground. "Go back to your friends," she said, smiling.

"Pie!" Caterpie chimed happily as it turned around, heading deeper into the woods.

"Rock on little dude!" Kaori called, waving goodbye. Masami, trembling, slowly opened one eye. Kaori smiled. "He's gone."

"O-okay," Masami said, still uneasy.

"Well, I'm off. It was nice running into ya again bug girl," Kaori said, turning to leave.

Masami looked around nervously. "Eh, wait!" she cried.

Kaori blinked and turned around. "What?"

"I, uh, need some help," she admitted, shifting.

"And?"

"And I was wondering if maybe you could help me get out of this forest," Masami asked quietly.

Kaori sighed, irritated, thinking about it. She had far better things to do than help newbies who were afraid of itsie bitsie bugs, so much so, they couldn't even get through a stupid forest.

Masami frowned, watching Kaori debate with herself.

Kaori took a deep breath. "No," she said simply as she continued walking.

"What?!" Masami exclaimed, taken back. "Even after I gave you that money?"

Kaori stopped in her tracks. This was true… And Kaori _did_ have to pay her back still. She had conflicted between herself for a good five minutes before turning to Masami, sighing. "Alright."

Masami smiled a little. "Muchas gracias."

Kaori raised an eyebrow. "I dunno what that means, but I'm gonna assume it's some form of a thank you."

Masami shifted uneasily. "S-sorry. It's Spanish. I sometimes speak it without knowing."

Kaori blinked and smiled a little. "What? No, don't freak out. It's cool. Let's just get outta this forest." She started to look around, but the more that she did so, the more confused and lost she looked. Masami walked up to Kaori's side and blinked.

Kaori then smirked confidently. "This way!" she exclaimed enthusiastically, pointing her finger in front of herself.

Masami simply blinked and followed her. She was sure that Kaori had no idea where she was going, but she couldn't risk facing some kind of weird bug-type Pokémon in the forest. Kaori stopped walking and looked around, crossing her arms.

"Why'd we stop?" Masami questioned.

"I don't know where we are," Kaori huffed, looking up at the sky. Masami sighed, not surprised. "If only we had some kind of angel or something descend from the heavens and guide us through the forest, or some Jesus crap like that," she joked.

It was just then that there was a loud thump in front of them. Startled, the two quickly looked over to see where the sound had come from, and were horrified to discover what it was. It was a body that had fallen out of the tree just above them, currently unconscious. A girl's body.

----

**AN: Sorry for the wait! It's a little hectic to find time to update, especially with two authors. Once introductions are out of the way, this thing will be rolling in no time. Now, fastestthingalive34 wrote this chapter, but the diolougue of it (as well as all the chapters) comes from both of us, depending on which character it comes from. Anyways, now that I'm done confusing you, here's something:**

**Helpful hint: In case you don't pick up on this, there's a difference between parts of stories separated by asterics (*) and dashes (-). If a section of the story is shown with asterics, it means it's a flashback. Even when the story begins with a flashback, you'll see the asterics first. Dashes just mean a simply scene change. That might have been obvious, but in case to some it wasn't, I thought it'd be helpful to point out or things are going to get very confusing in the future.**

**Also, in case you were wondering for no apparent reason, approximately 900 yen is equal to ten US dollars.**

**The third chapter's already written, but we're going to wait a few days before posting it. So enjoy this one and please review!**

**Pokemon (c) Nintendo and the Pokemon Company  
Masami and Katashi Cadena (c) egyptian-sands  
Kaori Nakahara (c) fastestthingalive34**


	3. Fallen Angel

_Chapter Three: Fallen Angel _

* * * *

Sweat trickled down her face as she pressed her finger straight into the soft rich soil. She smiled, satisfied. The earth here was perfect for planting seeds for a seventh herb garden. She reached to her side to get the seeds she had harvested from her fourth garden, at its ripest this time of year, but found nothing to be there.

"Hm," she thought aloud, looking around. "Where did those seeds disappear to? They were here right a here a minute ago…"

Her train of thought was suddenly interrupted by a soft beeping noise, and she blinked, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a little black phone.

"Hello?" she answered, still scanning the area.

"Mizuki, it's mom," the voice on the other end spoke.

Mizuki sighed. "This isn't the best time."

"This is important Mizuki," her mother, Hoshi, sounded firm, yet her voice wavered. Mizuki's face elongated.

"What's wrong?"

"Grandfather has become very ill, and –"

"Is it serious?" Mizuki asked, concern melting through her words.

"I don't know. I'm taking the first train to Hoenn to go and see him."

Mizuki's eyes widened. "What! _Hoenn? _How long will you be?"

Hoshi was hesitant. "A while. Until he gets better."

"What about Mika?" Mizuki asked, a thousand questions running through her mind.

"Mika's going to be staying with Aunt Aki."

"But she lives on the other side of Johto! I can take care of her here," Mizuki claimed, nodding.

"No you can't," Hoshi countered.

"And why not?" Mizuki asked stubbornly. "I just turned fourteen and I'm very responsible, aren't I?"

"You can't take care of her," Hoshi explained. "Because you'll be in Kanto."

* * * *

Masami and Kaori stared in awe at the girl who had fallen from the tree. It happened so suddenly that they were too immobilized to even comprehend what had just occurred.

"Oh my god!" Kaori exclaimed. "Jesus _does_ exist!"

"I-it's a girl!" Masami stated, still stunned.

"I-is he dead?" Kaori asked, trembling a bit. She picked a stick up from the residue of the breaking branch and poked the girl in the back of the neck. "J-Jesus?"

Masami shoved Kaori aside, clearly annoyed. Kaori stumbled back as Masami bent down, gently shaking the girl. "H-hey, are you okay?" The girl just lied there, motionless.

"Oh my god, we killed Jesus!" Kaori cried, clasping her hands to her head. "The pope is gonna _smite_ us!"

Masami turned her head back, glaring. "Will you shut _up?_ You don't even know what the hell you're talking about!"

"_Yes I do!_ I read the bible once when I was bored! I think killing Jesus is one of the Ten Commandments or something!"

Masami growled. "Obviously you read it upside down."

Kaori crossed her arms stubbornly. "Nu-uh!"

"Yes!" Masami argued.

Suddenly the girl jolted up, causing both Masami and Kaori to jump ten feet. The girl paid no attention to them and happily began collecting the fallen fruit from the tree she had just been in, as though nothing had ever happened.

"Stay back!" Kaori warned, completely freaked out, taking a step back. "I'm Jewish!"

The girl paused and stowed her newly obtained fruit in her backpack. She rose to her feet, turned to Kaori, and blinked.

"Hey Jewish," she said, smiling. "I'm Mizuki."

* * * *

"Mom, I _can't_ go to Kanto!" Mizuki whined. "Why can't I stay here? Who's going to watch the house?"

"I'm not leaving you all alone in that house," Hoshi sighed, growing weary.

"Well what am I going to do in Kanto? Just because I have my own Pokémon _doesn't_ mean I want to become a Pokémon trainer!"

"I'm not sending you to Kanto to train Pokémon," Hoshi explained. "I'm sending you there because I believe you have so much to gain from beginning your own journey."

"What do you mean?" Mizuki asked, raising an eyebrow. "I want to become a Pokémon nutritionist. Where better am I going to learn to be just that than here with all of this data and herbs?"

"Mizuki, honey, there are some things that can't be thought to you by books, or by your grandfather, or even me. In order to succeed in anything in life, you need to learn by experience. This journey will let you be able to truly gain knowledge on everything you want to know, and everything you don't want to know. You're so young, Mizuki. Don't waste your life away in your garden. Go out and see the world and have a _real_ adventure."

Mizuki said nothing, staring at the ground. She wanted nothing more than to become a Pokémon nutritionist, just like her grandfather. She had always thought that as long as she had her grandfather to supply her with everything she needed such as land, seeds, know how, she'd be an expert in no time. But now that she thought about it, her grandfather didn't have anyone to tell him _anything_. He set off on a journey, learning on the way, making discoveries, finding friends to guide him. Mizuki knew she could never be as great as her grandfather if she depended solely on him. She had to discover and make her own greatness.

"Alright," Mizuki finally agreed, speaking quietly. "I'll go to Kanto."

Mizuki could here Hoshi sigh of relief. "I'm so happy to hear that. I bought you a ticket for a ship that will arrive in Viridian City."

Mizuki nodded. "Viridian City, got it. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay. Love you, bye."

"Love you too," Mizuki said, hanging up the phone. She stood in silence for a long time, and finally looked to the sky, a new fire, purpose, lighting within her soul. "Viridian City…" she whispered, letting the words embrace her. "Here I come."

* * * *

Kaori paused and stared at Mizuki for a long time, then burst out laughing. "That was a good one!" She then got very serious, crossing her arms. "Alright Jesus, come to kill me?"

Mizuki blinked, confused. "I'm not Jesus."

Masami sighed, placing a hand on her hip. She looked at Kaori, unfazed. "Jesus is _dead._"

Kaori glared at Masami for a long time, then shifted her eyes. "…I knew _that."_

"_Right," _Masami stared, not buying it.

Kaori shook it off, turning to Mizuki. "So, who are you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Mizuki smiled. "Mizuki Arita, Pokémon nutritionist."

"Oh," Kaori said, smiling. "I'm Kaori Nakahara… Not Jewish." She paused. "I mean, I _am_ Jewish, but that's not…" She became tangled within her own words. "…I'm a Pokémon trainer," she finished, smiling.

"I'm also a Pokémon trainer," Masami added, bowing slightly. "I'm Masami Cadena."

Mizuki smiled. "It's nice to meet you both."

"Encantada," Masami replied, smiling.

Kaori looked up and blinked. "So, what's in the tree?"

"Oh!" Mizuki exclaimed, looking up brightly. "This tree had some ripe fruit in it, so I decided to take advantage."

Kaori blinked. "Oh."

Mizuki smiled, turning back to Kaori. "But I think I got all the ripe ones, so I guess I'll be moving on."

"You know where you're going?" Kaori asked, tilting her head.

"Of course!" Mizuki reached into her backpack and brought out a crumpled piece of paper. She opened it, revealing a map. The map was of the Kanto region, covered with many different notes and markings in various colors, all hand written. "I've already mapped out the area and researched which plants and herbs are only found in Viridian Forest." She looked down at the map. "But this was the last one, so now I'll just be going to Pewter City."

Kaori just stared at Mizuki for the longest time, then turned to Masami, grabbed her shoulders, and began shaking her vigorously. "This Mizuki girl must be the _angel_ that _God_ has sent us!" she cried out, overflowing with excitement.

Masami rolled her eyes, shoving Kaori off of her. "Or she's just a regular girl. Besides, I don't want to bother her."

Kaori shook her head, developing a one track mind. "No! She's an angel! _Trust me!_ I know an angel when I see one!"

Masami glared, crossing her arms. "Something tells me you wouldn't."

Kaori smiled. "Sure I would." She turned to Mizuki expectantly. "You're an angel, right?"

"No," Mizuki blinked, becoming confused once more. "I'm… a girl."

Kaori glared. "Well," she lit up. "You're an angel _now!"_

"Oh," Mizuki blinked. She smiled a little. Masami just sighed, irritated.

Kaori smiled, continuing on. "Would you mind if my loyal companion and I followed you out of the forest? We're lost. We won't bother you. We can even follow you from a distance if you'd like."

Masami raised an eyebrow. "Loyal companion?"

"Yeah," Kaori said, smiling. "Like a dog."

Masami glared. "I'm no one's 'loyal companion' she declared, shoving her.

Kaori smirked. "If you say so."

Mizuki blinked, but smiled. "I'd love for you to join me. The more the merrier, right?"

Kaori smiled brightly. "Right!"

"So I'll just lead the way then," she giggled, beginning to walk.

Kaori eagerly followed, while Masami sighed, trudging behind, wondering when she was going to have an adventure of her own.

* * * *

Mizuki strolled along her property, heading for her home. Her home was quite large and frequently mistaken for a mansion. Her family was rather wealthy and was always depended upon for medicines and potions.

Her grandfather, as well as idol and inspiration, was the greatest Pokémon nutritionist among the land. In his younger days he started as a Pokémon trainer, eager and naïve. As he journeyed, he became quickly interested with the diets of his Pokémon, and as a result, experimented to make foods and medicines that would have a strong effect on his team. He impressed everyone by later taking on the Elite Four and winning with ease. Since then, he retired training, settled down, and dedicated his life to making medicines for other people's Pokémon, gaining him his wealth. Most of the land owned by Mizuki's parents was given to them by her grandfather.

And as for her parents, her mother, Hoshi, was a typical stay-at-home mom. She took care of Mizuki and her sister, Mika. She cleaned, cooked, etc. She was always so nice, though. Very caring and considerate. Her father, Yuki, was quite the opposite, however. He was researching the Unown, going into caves, temples, ruins, anything that had their symbols. He was gone often, and didn't come back for days when he left. Hoshi never liked him going, but he went anyways. Researching was what he loved most.

"Hey!" Mizuki cried, stopping dead in her tracks. "Ninetails!"

Not too far from her was her Ninetails, gnawing on a plastic bag full of her missing seeds. He glanced up, stared at Mizuki for a moment, snatched the bag, and sprinted off. Mizuki groaned and ran after him. She was pretty fast and usually able to keep pace with Ninetails, and raced around the land until she caught up with him, reclaimed back the bag, and went into her house.

The kitchen was neat and tidy, as always, with her supplies and ticket already laid out on the table. Hoshi did well to prepare for her, although Mizuki in all honesty could have gotten ready herself. Even still, she took what was given to her and looked down to her Ninetails.

"Ready to hit it?" she asked, smiling.

"Nine!" Ninetails chimed, dashing out the door. Mizuki laughed, feeling Ninetails' energy, and ran after him.

* * * *

"So whereabouts are you from, Mizuki?" Kaori asked, keeping pace with her.

"Oh, I'm from the Johto region," Mizuki answered, smiling. "I actually don't live in a town. My family owns their own land and we grow all sorts of plants and herbs."

Kaori smiled. "That's pretty cool."

"Yeah," Mizuki said, nodding. "What about you two?"

Kaori smiled proudly and put a fist to her chest. "I'm from Lilycove City. Home of the," she paused. "Uh… Lily…cove…?"

Mizuki lit up. "Right by the water, right?"

"Yup," Kaori said, smiling. "I'm an orphan, see. My parents left me with my grandmother when I was one, and she died when I was eight." She shrugged. "I lived by myself on the streets till a few weeks ago right after my thirteenth birthday, when I decided to come here."

"Oh, well, you seem pretty optimistic about the whole thing, so good for you," Mizuki pointed out, smiling.

"Yup, couldn't have asked for it any other way," Kaori agreed, also smiling. "I like my life. Never had a friend before, 'cept for Marshtomp, but eh, who needs 'em?"

"Right," Mizuki said, nodding. She turned to Masami and smiled. "And what's your story?"

Masami became uneasy and shifted. "Oh, um… I'm from Pallet Town. I live with my brother, and my parents are never home." She shook her head. "They travel a lot, so my brother has to take care of me."

Mizuki blinked and smiled. "Are you and him close?"

Masami smiled a little. "Very."

Mizuki looked straight ahead. It was broad daylight, and the sun shined through the canopies, reflecting off the leaves. The aftermath of rain had caused the forest to have a refreshed and new atmosphere, with air that felt so good to breathe.

"So, is this your first time on the open road?" Mizuki asked, feeling energized.

"Yup," Kaori smiled.

Masami nodded, smiling. "Sí."

Mizuki smiled as well. "Mine too."

"Did your family send you here?" Kaori asked. "Or you doing it just 'cause you want to?"

Mizuki looked up. "Well, my mom got me tickets to get to Viridian. She said it would be good for me to get out and see the world while I was still young." She smiled, turning to Kaori. "But I do want to. I'm interested to research all the plants and herbs, as well as making potions and medicines."

Kaori smiled. "Good for you."

"Thanks," Mizuki said. She looked forward again and felt elated. "Oh, there's the exit!"

"You're right!" Kaori exclaimed. Masami lit up.

The trio ran for the opening, a portal of light within green. Masami and Kaori looked around, relieved, buzzing. Mizuki paused, an empty feeling beginning to scratch away somewhere deep inside her, a part of her she didn't yet know existed. She turned and watched Kaori and Masami laughing over their accomplishment of surviving Viridian Forest. She wanted to laugh along with them.

_Don't waste your life away in your garden. Go out and see the world and have a_ real_ adventure._

Mizuki wasn't one to make stupid decisions and take risks. She was one to play it safe and follow the path that was already taken. But these two girls, Masami and Kaori… none of that applied to them. They went into everything with no supplies, no set path, no game plan, no nothing. They didn't follow the same path everyone else walked along. No, they made their own path. A path that Mizuki wanted to join.

Mizuki took a deep breath and smiled. "Hey," she said, getting their attention. "I noticed you two travel pretty light."

"Yeah," Kaori said, blinking. "I can't afford supplies."

Mizuki nodded. "Right. You don't have any maps, so what happens if you get lost again? And how will you know how to survive and everything? Do you know which plants are okay to eat in the wild? And you can't afford medicines and potions."

Kaori paused. "I guess I never thoughta it like that before…"

Mizuki smiled. Kaori and Masami needed someone like her. They needed someone to help them survive, and Mizuki needed someone to help her live. They balanced each other out perfectly. "But you know, I have very detailed maps and extensive knowledge on how to survive in the wild."

Kaori blinked, not sure weather she should be impressed or not. "Wow, really?"

"And I mean, I think I could really help you," Mizuki continued, her smile growing. "How about I travel with the two of you?"

Kaori raised an eyebrow, confused. "Huh? With," she looked at Masami. "The two of…" She paused, realizing what Mizuki meant. "Oh. No no no no no." Kaori shook her head. "You've got the wrong idea. Masami and I… we're not… we aren't…"

"We're _not_ traveling with each other," Masami cut in, crossing her arms. She became firm. "You can travel with Kaori, but I'm going solo."

"Nonsense!" Mizuki laughed, brighter than ever. She wasn't going to let this opportunity pass. "Admit it. You're in the _same_ situation as Kaori. I think you could use some help yourself."

Masami turned uneasy. "N-no, I couldn't possibly… No offence, just… I have to be alone." She shook her head. "I can't be with Kaori."

Kaori put on a very sad, very fake, face. "You mean…" she began, her voice wavering. "You don't… _like_ me?"

"N-no!" Masami countered, tangling herself in a real bind. "It's not that! I just…" She sighed, looking up. "I told myself I'd fly solo."

Kaori crossed her arms, glaring. "You don't wanna travel with me 'cause I'm Jewish, is that it?"

Masami felt like a broken record. "N-no! I don't care what religion you are!" she assured. "I'm quite religious myself!"

"Yeah?" Kaori asked, raising an eyebrow.

Masami shifted. "S-sure, I grew up Roman-Catholic."

"Oh. Huh," Kaori thought aloud, blinking. She shifted her eyes. "Yeeeah I'm not really religious _per say…_ Just so you know."

Masami sighed. "I don't care how religious you are. Even if I am quite religious, I don't let it cloud my own personal opinions and judgments."

"Right," Kaori agreed, nodding. She paused, then glared. "So are you gonna travel with me or not?"

Masami frowned and shifted uneasily. She spoke quietly. "I… I can manage on my own."

Kaori brought her sad face out for an encore. "Plleeeeaaaseee?"

"Why would you even want me to?" Masami asked, looking away.

Kaori blinked, as it if was obvious. "So I can pay you back at some point."

"Forget about it," Masami sighed, shaking her head. "Consider it a token of gratitude for showing me where the Pokémon Center was."

"No," Kaori glared, crossing her arms. "I won't accept it. You're traveling with us." She smirked. "And what if you run into more bugs?"

Masami froze, her body numbing. She hadn't thought of that before. "U-uh…"

"And getting lost on the way to the Pokémon Center is pretty sad," Mizuki pointed out, smiling.

Masami shifted. "I-I know, I, uh…"

Kaori smiled innocently, getting her face close to Masami's. "Weeeelll?"

Masami looked down. She could think of a million reasons why it would be a terrible idea to travel with these two girls. But even still, there was one, and only one, reason that overpowered everything. Masami couldn't live on her own. She couldn't become the independent person necessary to pull that sort of thing off. So as much as she knew she was going to regret this, when it came down to it, she really didn't have a choice. She sighed. "…Fine…"

Kaori lit up, looking like she was ready to bounce up and down. "Really?"

Masami shrugged, trying to make it seem as though it wasn't a big deal. "Let's just see how it works out."

"Great!" Kaori beamed.

"Yes!" Mizuki chimed in, equally excited. "It's always more fun to travel with others!"

Kaori cheered. "Yeah!"

Masami sighed. "Yeah."

* * * *

Mizuki held the railing tight with both hands, leaning over to see the ocean. The ocean looked especially blue today, its surface glimmering white under the sun. The ship sliced open the water as it cruised along, and misted shadows of black could be faintly seen in the depths of the water.

Mizuki took a deep breath, letting the salty air inside, and looked up at the puffy clouds slowly sailing by.

"We will be arriving in Viridian City soon," a woman on the intercom spoke. Mizuki paused and narrowed her eyes, trying to spot land.

"Oh, look!" she cried, nudging Ninetails with her foot. Ninetails was chasing an ant that had managed to stow onto the ship. "I see the city!"

In the distance, tall dark buildings reached towards the sky, smoke emitting from large pipes. Mizuki smiled and leaned her chin against the railing, as Ninetails found a new interest in watching the waves crash against the side of the ship.

"This is where our adventure begins," Mizuki said quietly, her eyes intently watching the nearing city. Everything kept getting bigger, and Mizuki felt as though she was becoming smaller. She stood tall and let go of the railing. She took slow, steady breaths, and smiled. "This is where _I_ begin."

----

**AN: Alright, so here's the third chapter! We meant to post this a while ago, but editing issues came up so it's been delayed. Anyways, the fourth chapter will definetely be up in two weeks; hopefully less. We'll be working on it today. So that's it, please read and review!**

**Kaori Nakahara (c) fastestthingalive34  
Mizuki Arita and Masami Cadena (c) egyptian-sands  
Pokemon (c) The Pokemon Company/Nintendo**


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